Lucid Motors plans to launch in Germany in 2022

California-based electric car startup Lucid Motors plans to begin delivering its cars in Germany next year, as the new Country Manager Roberto Russo, confirmed to electrive. Also in 2022, the Air sedan is to arrive in other European countries too.

+ + Kindly see our update below + +

That Lucid was planning to enter the German market had been rumoured for a few days. Russo himself had announced on LinkedIn that he would become Lucid Motors’ Country Manager Germany with immediate effect. In an interview with electrive.net, Russo now concretized the plans. “We want to start delivering our cars in Germany in 2022,” Russo said. “Later this year, we will announce more details about our European market entry.” In addition to Germany, Lucid plans to serve the following markets: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Until then, he said, the company will focus on producing and launching the Lucid Air in the United States. Lucid unveiled the production version of the Air in September 2020. In the states, the two top versions, ‘Grand Touring’ (for the maximum range of 832 kilometres) and ‘Dream Edition’ (for the maximum power of 794 kW), are to be offered first prices starting at $139,000 and $169,000, respectively. Later, the ‘Tour’ (starting at $95,000) and the Air’s base trim ‘Pure’ will follow at prices starting at $77,400, before subsidies.

Russo, an e-mobility specialist, did not yet want to confirm exactly which versions of the Air will be offered in Europe. In 2012, he joined Tesla as sales manager for the European launch of the Model S and later worked as a freelance sales expert advising other automakers on the sale and launch of their EV models.

What is certain is that the vehicles will come from the company’s own plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. The first expansion is already underway to create capacity for the brand’s second model – the Gravity e-SUV, which uses the same LEAP (Lucid Electric Advanced Platform) platform as the Air.

As a technical feature, Lucid relies on a 900-volt system for the Air, which should enable even faster charging times. A 20-minute charge stop is said to deliver power for 300 miles (482 kilometres) to the battery – 113 kWh in the top two models. In addition, the Air is said to reduce power consumption with good aerodynamics (CW value of 0.21). There are no details on the SUV model here yet.

As reported, Lucid Motors sells its vehicles directly only, without intermediary dealers. Nine ‘Lucid Studios’ are planned in the USA – a different sales strategy for Europe would be a surprise. Service centres are also to be set up at the locations of the studios.

Update 25 April 2022:

After the Californian electric car startup Lucid Motors confirmed to us last year that the Lucid Air would also be offered in Germany and other European countries from 2022, there is now more detailed information. A company spokesperson told Autocar that Lucid will start exporting to Europe and the Middle East “in June or July”.

Which markets Lucid will begin deliveries to in Europe was not explicitly confirmed but it is believed that Germany will be “the first port of call”. According to the July 2021 details, Lucid plans to serve markets such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, flagship e-country Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, in addition to Germany.

In Europe, Great Britain is missing from the list so far – because only left-hand drive cars are built at the Arizona plant. Autocar now quotes an insider as saying that a right-hand-drive version of the Lucid Air is also planned for the British market. Autocar estimates that right-hand-drive production will start at the end of 2022 and that the cars will be available to British customers from 2023, although this has not been officially confirmed.

Lucid wants to start deliveries of the Air in China in 2023.

This article has been updated as earlier versions mentioned the start of sales. The order books are open as reservations opened in 2020 with deliveries to start in Europe in 2022. There has also been an update to the list of countries Lucid will serve, i.e. now excluding the UK.

With reporting by Sebastian Schaal, Germany.

linkedin.com, update: autocar.co.uk